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| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| IRCCS National Neurological Institute "C. Mondino" Foundation | OTHER |
| Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale degli Spedali Civili di Brescia | OTHER |
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Preterm newborns survival rates are improved, but long-term disabilities are still common. Major destructive focal lesions became less common, the most predominant lesion at present is diffuse white matter (WM damage). Melatonin (ME) serves as a neuroprotectant cerebral ischemia through its potent anti-oxidant/-inflammatory effect. Preclinical studies demonstrated that protects the developing brain by preventing abnormal myelination and inflammatory glial reaction. Clinical studies demonstrated ME ability in reducing brain damage after neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) or preventing neonatal impairments due to antenatal/ post-natal injuries: preeclampsia, IntraUterineGrowthRestriction (IUGR), ventilation, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). ME has a good safety profile with no known adverse effects. This study aims to highlight that ME can prevent brain impairment due to premature birth. ME will be administered orally (3 mg/kg/die for 15 days to neonates born before 29+6 week gestation, in a prospective double blind, randomized vs placebo study, 2 parallel arms. ME and malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation product) levels before and at the end of treatment will be measured . Other outcomes: Cerebral ultrasounds (cUS); cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), " Fagan test " eye tracking, ophthalmological, auditory, neurological/cognitive child assessments. Monitoring parental distress, which can influence the neurodevelopmental outcome in preterms.
About 552.000 infants are born in Italy each year, 1% of them with gestational age under 30 weeks. Survival rates are improved, but long-term disabilities are still common. Major destructive focal lesions became less common, the most predominant lesion at present is diffuse white matter (WM damage). The prevention of neurodevelopmental impairment is a major public health challenge and efforts are needed to test neuroprotective strategies. Melatonin (ME) serves as a neuroprotectant cerebral ischemia through its potent anti-oxidant/-inflammatory effect. Preclinical studies demonstrated that protects the developing brain by preventing abnormal myelination and inflammatory glial reaction. Clinical studies demonstrated ME ability in reducing brain damage after neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) or preventing neonatal impairments due to antenatal/ post-natal injuries: preeclampsia, IntraUterineGrowthRestriction (IUGR), ventilation, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). Ongoing studies are testing in premature neonates and pregnant women its neuroprotective properties. ME has a good safety profile with no known adverse effects.
This study aims to highlight that ME can prevent brain impairment due to premature birth. ME will be administered orally (3 mg/kg/die for 15 days within 96 hours from birth) to neonates born before 29+6 week gestation age (GA), in a prospective double blind, randomized vs placebo study, 2 parallel arms (30 preterm infants each). ME and malondialdehyde (MDA, a lipid peroxidation product) levels will be measured before and at the end of treatment. At birth, within 40 weeks of neonatal age, at 4-6 and at 24 months of age the following examinations are performed: Cerebral ultrasounds (cUS); cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), during natural sleep (i.e. adopting sleep deprivation and/or feeding protocols); "Fagan test"eye tracking, ophthalmological, auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR), neurological/cognitive child assessments. Monitoring parental distress, which can influence the neurodevelopmental outcome in preterms.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| melatonin | Experimental | melatonin oral drops; 3 mg/kg/day for 15 days |
|
| placebo | Placebo Comparator | oral drops manufactured to mimic melatonin |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| melatonin | Dietary Supplement | orally administered drops |
|
|
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Malondialdehyde | plasmatic concentration pg/ml | 15 days |
| Melatonin | plasmatic concentration pg/ml | 15 days |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Cranial ultrasound (cUS) Assessment | to identify and score White Matter injuries | up to 40 weeks |
| Brain Magnetic Resonance Immaging (cMRI) Assessment | Identify and score White Matter injuries |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII) | Measure the time ( minutes) to recognize unfamiliar versus familiar human faces to gauge visual-spatial encoding, attention, and working memory in infants. | up to 24 months |
| Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales'Revised (GMDS-R) |
Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Chryssoula Tzialla, MD | Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, Children's Hospital "Spedali Civili" of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy. | Brescia | BS | 25123 | Italy |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42138165 | Derived | Garofoli F, Asteggiano C, Minniti ML, Accorsi P, Albertini R, Angelini M, Aversa S, Ballante E, Cabini RF, Caporali C, Cociglio S, Franco V, Longo S, Malerba L, Materia V, Mazzocchi L, Naboni C, Palmisani M, Pullega C, Pisoni C, Preda L, Riboli A, Risso FM, Rognone E, Savini G, Simoncelli AM, Villani P, Tzialla C, Pinelli L, Fazzi E, Chiapparini L, Borgatti R, Ghirardello S, Pichiecchio A, Orcesi S. Early Oral Melatonin Supplementation Supports White Matter Maturation in Preterm Infants: Neuroprotective Insights of an Antioxidant Molecule. J Pineal Res. 2026 May;78(3):e70147. doi: 10.1111/jpi.70147. | |
| 33482894 |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D008550 | Melatonin |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D014363 | Tryptamines |
| D007211 | Indoles |
| D006574 | Heterocyclic Compounds, 2-Ring |
| D000072471 | Heterocyclic Compounds, Fused-Ring |
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| placebo | Drug | orally administered drops |
|
|
| up to 40 weeks |
| Auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR) Assessments | Identify and score auditory diseases | up to 40 weeks |
The scales rate infant development across 5 main areas (locomotor, personal and social skills, hearing and language, eye and hand co-ordination, and performance), providing a general developmental quotient (DQ) of infants' abilities and 5 subscale quotients (SQ). |
| up to 24 months |
| Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scales. | A self-rating scale to evaluate emotional, social, and behavioral problems in infants, according to the parents' evaluation. | up to 24 months |
| Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Children's Hospital, University Hospital "Spedali Civili" Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy. | Brescia | BS | 25123 | Italy |
| Fondazione IRCCS Mondino | Pavia | PV | 27100 | Italy |
| Neonatal Unit and NICU, Radiology, Clinical Chemistry Lab., Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo. | Pavia | PV | 27100 | Italy |
| Derived |
| Garofoli F, Longo S, Pisoni C, Accorsi P, Angelini M, Aversa S, Caporali C, Cociglio S, De Silvestri A, Fazzi E, Rizzo V, Tzialla C, Zecca M, Orcesi S. Oral melatonin as a new tool for neuroprotection in preterm newborns: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2021 Jan 22;22(1):82. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05034-w. |
| D006571 | Heterocyclic Compounds |
| D006728 | Hormones |
| D006730 | Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists |